Alert: This is a rant. It's a 3-min read about our experience with a client and what I think matters in a business.
My agency, Content Conspiracy, recently wrapped up a website copy project. Wrapped up = received long outstanding dues despite deliverables being on time.
It was all pretty straightforward - requirements were clear, we were familiar with the client and their business, we had worked with the 3rd vendor (the developer) before, and an honest timeline of a few days was set. Everything's good, right?
Wrong.
We started work on this project in July 2019.
We delivered the copy in the few days that we said we would. One round of feedback later, it was approved and ready to go live on the website. Then something happened that no one expected: a blackout.
We sympathized with our client and partner-developer. We understood the humanitarian and economic pressure they were under. We reached out to the client and assured we'd help them see this through. It's the least we could do. They thanked us for our support.
Meanwhile, the partner-developer excused from the project. Why and how - we're still not clear. Repeated calls and texts yielded no response. The project was doomed.
Fast forward to early 2020: We reached out to the client to check what's happening. They told us the project is still on albeit with a new developer and new design. New timelines too. 2 weeks, said the client.
This was in April 2020. Great, we thought.
We'll see our copy live and finally close the project.
Wrong.
With the new developer, new design, and a new, rather bureaucratic, and officious, project manager, things took a nose-dive.
A rash of emails followed: new contracts, approvals, acknowledgment of approvals, email to acknowledge that email was received, Gantt Charts, PFAs & EODs, etc. etc.
Who says "this stands responded" or "with all requisite updates as discussed"?
Did we also mention a change in scope and deliverables?
Nonetheless, we plowed through. In for a penny, in for a pound, right? Finally, after long weeks of exchanging several (totally-not-needed-waste-of-time-and-effort) emails, writing new copy, and ensuring the pandemic doesn't affect our mental health, we delivered the final copy. Again.
We also provided our "support in running a complete quality check on the content and website experience (user perspective)".
2 weeks became 5 months.
We politely "requisitioned" our pending payment. An email red-tape about timelines, agreements, and "due diligence" followed.
They sent us screenshots to "clarify and set context".
We called up the client. We asked him to weigh upon this and have the vendor clear our dues since our task on the project was done. Which he approved as done, at that.
Instead, this is what we heard:
"Why are you worried about your pending fees? It's not a big deal. I smoke cigarettes worth that much in a month. Don't sweat it too much."
If you're still reading this, this is the point of the story.
I don't understand why people don't want to empathize or understand the constraints of a small business. Also, whatever happened to solidarity?
Nothing gives us the right to belittle people (especially small businesses) by being this entitled, arrogant, and insulting.
Nothing matters more than humility and having a set of values you live, not just parrot.
Your bottom-line doesn't matter.
Neither does stock value or equity. What definitely doesn't matter is your heritage, and legacy family business.
Originally published August 4, 2020. What matters in business, s a business?